New scholarship guide invaluable for students

A COMPREHENSIVE scholarship guide outlining many of the grant opportunities available for local students and career practitioners has been developed.

The South Gippsland Bass Coast Local Learning & Employment Network (SGBCLLEN) together with Bass Coast Country Universities Centre (CUC) created the guide after a need for one was sought from those in the industry. 

“Sometimes students don’t know about scholarships, so we thought it was really important to put out a resource so they can look for them,” said Andrea Evans-McCall, Centre Manager of Bass Coast CUC.   

The guide has been categorised into scholarships that are available from local community groups and organisations, as well as state and national opportunities, and into the various areas of study, making it easy for students to identify scholarships they may be able to apply for.

Students often think scholarships are awarded only for academic excellence or based on equity and merit, but there are often a lot of different opportunities as well, according to Andrea, such as industry specific grants, those from philanthropic organisations and those for students who are first in their family to go to university, for example.

Scholarships help relieve the financial burden of studying and make it easier for students to begin, undertake and continue their studies.

Grants can assist with travel, on campus accommodation, student fees and loans, placements, resources, and general day to day expenses. 

“The financial barrier can be a huge one for students to undertake study, especially regional students… so it helps to support those financial barriers,” explained Andrea.

Leah Underwood from SGBCLLEN commented that the guide is not an exhaustive list of the scholarships available, but it will be updated accordingly when new scholarships arise. 

“We hope the guide will make it easier for students to find different scholarships they may be eligible for, as sometimes it is overwhelming trawling through websites reading through eligibility requirements,” Leah said. 

The 2023 Scholarship Guide: South Gippsland & Bass Coast can be found at cucbasscoast.edu.au.